The Sensations Of Being Sentient
by AsLostAsAliceAsMadAsTheHatter
Summary: Just because she's an age-old ruler doesn't mean she knows everything.
1. Chapter 1

Maddie had insisted, else she wouldn't have been anywhere near the dangerous substance. But how could she deny her daughter? Especially when she had already missed out on so much.

She stared at the water with apprehension and dread, cringing at the thought of getting anywhere near it, but she had promised. Maddie was bouncing excitedly beside her as the tub filled, unable to believe that her mother was to be the one supervising her for once. Her father had never been comfortable with the task, always awkward and blushing and never able to partake in her imaginative adventures. Digit at least played with her, but even that couldn't compare to her mother. Her excitement masked her observance of the woman's fear, and it was only when she was happily splashing around in the water that she sensed the tension in the room.

Motherboard was torn between bliss and fear as she watched the child playing in the water. She kept her distance from the tub, choosing to lean against the sink on the far side of the room, but found herself curious as to what the water felt like. Was it cool, or soft? What _was_ wet anyway? But her fear kept her away, her knowledge of electricity and computer parts making her wary.

"Mommy?" Maddie called, grabbing her attention. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetheart, I'm just thinking," she replied, trying to hide her fear.

"Then will you play with me?"

"O-of course," she stuttered, anxiety going up another notch. She stiffly moved beside the tub, lowering herself to the floor and sitting ramrod straight, the tension collecting in her back. "What game were you thinking of?"

"Mermaids and sharks!"

"What?"

Maddie rolled her eyes, picking up one of her dolls.

"Molly is the mermaid and she's swimming with her friends. Chester is the shark," she held up a small rubber shark," and he's hungry so he chases her around. You're Chester."

She held out the toy expectantly, and Motherboard desperately tried to ignore the trembling in her fingers as she accepted it. Maddie dove into the game, dunking her doll under the water and spinning her around. Her mother held the little shark by its fin with two fingers, gently bobbing it along the surface of the water, cringing back anytime the little girl created waves.

"Moooooommmmmy," Maddie whined after a few minutes, "you're not doing it right. He's supposed to chase her _under_ the water!"

She grabbed her mother's hand, forcefully shoving it under the surface, oblivious to her terror. Motherboard waited for the painful electrical shock, the feeling of her hand refusing to respond to her will and the glitching of her system, but it never came. Instead, she was surprised to find that the water did absolutely no damage, and that she could feel it against her synthetic skin. It was pleasantly warm, liquid in a way she'd never known before, and thinner than the cryoxide that cooled her processors. She wasn't entirely sure if she liked it, but she was definitely fascinated by it.

Grinning now that she knew she wasn't in danger, she happily complied to her daughter's rules, leaning over and getting into the game, which quickly progressed from a simple imaginative chase to violent splashing. Waves of water rolled across the tub, splashing against the walls and flowing over the sides. The floor was drenched, as well as the two occupants of the room. Maddie was laughing, hair plastered down her back, and Motherboard had never felt quite so happy as to be less than presentable. The game ended when she fully leaned into the tub and grabbed the child, tickling her mercilessly. Squeals of laughter echoed off the walls, the happiness in the room almost tangible.

"Okay, okay, I think that's enough for now," Motherboard chuckled, lifting her out of the water.

She wrapped her in a towel, noticing how the little blonde hadn't stopped smiling.

"I love you, Mommy," Maddie said happily, beaming up at the woman.

"I love you, too, baby," she responded, brushing back some of the child's wet hair.

Sitting on the floor, soaked and nearly breathless, she knew that this was what she had been missing in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Well. That had been unexpected.

She hadn't truly meant to touch the water pipe, but she'd stumbled and had instinctively reached out to steady herself. She'd felt the metal brush her fingertips and she'd hung on, wrapping her hand around it fully to regain her balance. The blinding, searing pain that had soon invaded her senses had not been part of the plan. She'd screamed before she had truly realized what she was doing, jerking her hand away and cradling it close to her body as everyone came running from various parts of the site.

Doctor Marbles reached her first, heart pounding at the thought of Hacker intruding or something equally as dangerous. He almost sighed in relief at seeing the empty hallway before noticing the tears streaming down his friend's face and the way she was cradling her right hand against her chest.

"What happened?" he asked as he approached her.

"I tripped and reached out to catch my balance and grabbed one of the pipes. Then it just _hurt_."

About that time Digit and Maddie slid around the corner, eyes wide and panting.

"Mommy! Mommy, are you okay?" Maddie asked, racing over.

"I'm alright, sweetheart. I only tripped."

Doctor Marbles gently took her injured hand, wincing at the angry red blotch across the palm and the blisters already beginning to form on her fingers.

"And burnt yourself very badly," he said, allowing her to pull away from his grip.

Maddie clung to her mother's leg, wrapping herself around it. Meanwhile, Marbles turned to the wall, scrutinizing the pipes that lined it.

"Are you gonna be okay, Mommy? Is it bad?"

"I'll be just fine, it just needs to heal, and your Daddy is very good at that sort of thing."

"You must have grabbed the water pipe. It's the only one hot enough to cause that much damage from merely grabbing it. Come with me, I'm going to have to take a closer look and make sure you didn't melt any sensors or circuitry."

"Do you need any help, Doc?" Digit asked, just as worried as Maddie.

"Just stay with Maddie. I should be able to handle this quickly."

"Okay, Doc."

…

"How's it feel?" Doctor Marbles asked after they were settled in his lab.

"Incredibly painful. And here I thought a burnt out board hurt, this is astronomically worse."

She tried to flex her fingers, hissing in pain as her nerve endings burned.

"Yes, pain is quite unpleasant at the best of times and downright unbearable at the worst. I'm sorry you had to find that out this way."

"As long as you can fix it I'm not too worried," she answered.

"This is going to sting a lot," he warned as he poked at the blisters with a small scalpel. She hissed as they popped open, cryoxide running onto the table in a sickly green stream. "That definitely isn't promising," he muttered as he took in the coolant.

He began examining the inner wires and sensors in her hand, occasionally tapping or poking one he thought was damaged. Motherboard to her credit didn't scream or thrash out, merely clenched her eyes shut as wave after wave of agony rolled over her. Finally Marbles stood up and left her alone, though her hand continued to burn duly. He returned with some type of cream which he spread liberally over her hand before wrapping it in thick gauze.

"That should help it heal. Just try to keep it dry and avoid infection and within a few weeks it should be completely healed."

"When will it stop hurting?" she asked, the pain only dulled by the ointment he had applied.

"I can't say. It was a fairly bad burn, you're lucky nothing was damaged other than your skin. It might stop later on tonight, or it might continue to throb through the week. Everyone is different. Just don't bump it against anything and you should be fine."

She stared at the white bandage, already foreseeing an interesting week.

"And what about Maddie? How am I supposed to explain that I won't be able to play with her or tuck her in?"

He gave her an unimpressed stare.

"You do remember that she is by all rights a genius? She'll understand perfectly well. I'd be more concerned about her trying to unwrap it and tinker with it to make it heal faster," he deadpanned.

She laughed.

"I suppose you're right, it's just so easy to forget sometimes."

"I know, but I'm serious about the unwrapping," he replied with a grin.

"Don't worry, she isn't going to touch it. If nothing else she'll be afraid to hurt me."

She stepped out the doors, deciding that pain by far was a sensation she could completely and utterly do without.


	3. Chapter 3

She stared down at her daughter, the child pale and face glistening with tears, not without a hint of fear. She wasn't a nurse, a caregiver in a sense yes, but not a nurse. But Maddie looked so miserable, and she had asked specifically for her, so she glanced at Doctor Marbles, swallowed her fear, and scooped her up. He gave her an encouraging smile, remembering well the fear he had felt the first time he'd had to care for the girl while ill.

Maddie immediately curled into her mother's hold, coughing miserably as she tucked her face against her neck. Motherboard winced in both sympathy and disgust, ignoring her friend's knowing look. She rubbed her daughter's back, making a mental note to remind Digit to make sure she was properly bundled whenever they visited Penguia in the future.

"Mommy," Maddie rasped out, "I don't feel good."

Her voice was so quiet and pitiful. All at once the fear evaporated and all she felt was love and the urge to care for her. Well, and guilt for being so unwilling to begin with.

"I know, sweetheart. Why don't we take your temperature and give you some medicine and then…" She glanced at Marbles, thankful he was mouthing suggestions to keep her occupied. "Maybe a movie?" she asked.

" 'Kay," the child whispered.

Her CPU ached at hearing her normally energetic child so listless. She kissed the top of her head, carrying her to the bathroom and retrieving the thermometer and the small box of children's medicine Marbles had gotten from Earth. Maddie whined and clung to her when she tried to sit her on the counter, but with some gentle coaxing she managed to get her to cooperate. Luckily she had no problems placing the thermometer, though she frowned at the reading. Her real battle came when she tried to give her the medicine.

"No!"

"Maddie please, it will help you feel better!"

"No!"

Motherboard sighed, feeling frustration crawling up her spine.

"What if I take some, too? Will you drink it then?" she asked in desperation.

To her surprise and relief, the child nodded. She wasted no time in tilting the little cup to her lips and draining it, barely managing to conceal a grimace at the taste. That was not what grapes were supposed to taste like. Maddie watched her closely, but when her mother didn't spit it out or make a face she was forced to keep her end of the deal. Motherboard couldn't help but laugh at her look of disgust as she swallowed it.

"It's not so bad, see?"

"It's gross!"

"Maybe so, but it will help you feel better."

Maddie reached out to be picked back up and she obliged, something telling her this would be a common occurrence until she was better.

"What movie do you want to watch?" she asked, moving into Maddie's room.

She was proud of it, the first she'd ever designed for a child. It was a pale blue, fading into purple in some places, and the ceiling was painted as the night sky from Earth. A sizable toy chest sat in the far corner, a large desk beside it covered in both drawings and blueprints with a large screen facing the bed. A bookshelf sat beside the bed holding both books and movies. She sat on the edge of the bed, eyes scanning the titles. Many were from Earth, but there were also several from their world as well.

She had tried to make Maddie as comfortable as possible, and she liked to think she had succeeded.

"Let's see, there's _A Hydra's Tale, Stories from Happily Ever After, A History of Magic, Dragons in Flight, The Lion King, Sleeping Beauty, Hercules,_ or _One Hundred and One Dalmatians._ Which one, baby?"

"Um, _Sleeping Beauty_?" Maddie asked, well aware her mother hadn't seen any of them.

Motherboard pulled the case off the shelf and loaded it calmly, more than willing to indulge in not only a relaxing day, but learn a little about the entertainment of the world her daughter came from.

As the title card appeared she settled them both down into the bed, one thankfully big enough to accommodate her larger frame. Maddie snuggled into her side, resting her head on her chest over her CPU. She coughed again, the sound deeper and rougher than it had been previously, and she winced. She really hoped this wasn't anything more than a cold. She really didn't want to have to call a doctor.

Loud trumpets caught her attention and made her jump, causing Maddie to giggle. She blushed, though the happy little sound made her smile. She kissed her forehead, reclining against the headboard once more as the movie truly began.

* * *

Motherboard had to admit the movie had been interesting. The animation was admittedly better than their own, and the story had been okay, but what had kept her interest was the villain, Maleficent. She had reminded her of Hacker, a darker and more evil Hacker true, but him nonetheless. Maddie had fallen asleep partway through, breathing ragged with congestion and snoring. She ran her fingers through her hair, wishing she could take her place so she wouldn't have to suffer.

Leaning her head back, she began to think of all the things she would need to do once back in the mainframe and ways she could go about it, every once in a while running her hand down Maddie's back.

* * *

"Hey Doc, have you seen Maddie or Motherboard?" Digit asked, having returned from his morning at R Fair City.

"I believe they're in Maddie's room. Your sister isn't feeling well and requested her mother's presence," Marbles answered, glancing up from Motherboard's large monitor.

"She's sick?"

"Affirmative."

"Yoikes, this is all my fault! I shouldn't have taken her to Penguia last week!"

"It's not your fault, Digit. Children fall ill sometimes, it's perfectly normal."

"I know, Doc, but maybe if I hadn't taken her…"

Marbles spun the chair around to face the upset cybird, sighing as he saw him pulling at his wing feathers.

"Digit, I promise neither Motherboard nor Maddie blame you. And you two had fun did you not?" Digit nodded. "Then that's all that matters. Now, shall we go check on them? I'm sure Maddie will be happy to see you."

They headed down the halls, pausing outside Maddie's room to knock. When no answer was forthcoming Marbles opened the door, both of them entering. He smiled as his eyes landed on the bed, and Digit cooed softly at the scene. Motherboard and Maddie were both sleeping soundly, the woman holding her daughter in a protective embrace.

"Digit, do you have a camera?" Doctor Marbles whispered.

Nodding, the cybird quietly opened his hatch and rooted around, pulling out a camera moments later. He silently snapped a few shots before replacing it. They crept out, the only indication of their presence the whoosh of the door and it slid closed.

* * *

Maddie woke up cold and stuffy, and not at all pleased. Whimpering, she climbed on her mother's stomach, laying fully on top of her and waking her in the process. Motherboard started, calming when she glimpsed blue and green eyes inches from her own.

"Are you alright, Maddie?"

" 'M cold, Mommy. And it hurts to breathe. My chest feels funny."

She coughed, the sound wet and thick and reverberating from her chest. It shook her small frame, and her hands grasped at the fabric of Motherboard's dress. Frowning, Motherboard brushed her hair out of her face, feeling fever burn at her fingers.

"You're very warm, sweetie. I think maybe it's time for some more medicine."

"No Mommy, please! Don't want it!"

Her daughter must be sick to be speaking like that. The child always spoke in proper sentences. Her worry rose, but she tried to hide it.

"I know, but we need to break your fever," she explained gently.

Maddie began to cry, unable to control herself. She felt so bad! She didn't want anymore medicine, only her mother. The tears triggered a coughing fit, and Motherboard felt like crying herself as she calmed her daughter. For the first time since adopting Maddie loving words and hugs weren't enough to ease her distress. She could only gather her against her chest and whisper calming words until the tears ceased, quietly shedding a few herself.

Once Maddie had calmed, Motherboard retrieved a few tissues from the box atop the bookshelf and began to clean her face, smiling gently when she was finished.

"Why don't we go find your daddy and see if he can help? Maybe Digit is home, too."

"Okay, Mommy," Maddie whispered, wincing at the pain in her throat.

Motherboard stood, taking care to wrap the duvet from the bed around the shivering child. Maddie laid her head on her shoulder, eyes barely staying open. They found both Digit and Marbles in the Control Room, discussing a part or some such thing. Maddie's harsh coughs alerted them of their presence, and Motherboard didn't miss the guilt shining from Digit's eyes along with the worry.

"That doesn't sound good," Marbles said, going to meet them.

"I know, I was hoping you would know of some way to help her."

' _Since you've done this before,'_ hung unsaid in the air. Doctor Marbles smiled at his daughter, though Maddie only stared back. He frowned, whatever this was was far worse than the small cold he'd nursed her through the year previous.

"Maddie, my little gigabyte, can you come here for a moment?" he asked, stretching out his arms. She shook her head no, sniffling and tightening her grip on her mother. Marbles sighed. "Okay, darling. Just stay with Mommy while I go get my stethoscope."

As he left Digit approached. Motherboard sat in one of the chairs for visitors, settling the girl on her lap.

"Hey Mads, how ya feelin'?" he asked quietly.

"Not good."

"I'm sorry," he said, tears welling up.

"Why?" Maddie asked, sitting up a little.

"Because it was my idea to go to Penguia."

"It's okay, I had fun."

"But—"

"It's okay, Digit," Motherboard interrupted. "How was R Fair City?"

He has just begun to tell them about his morning when Marbles returned with a stethoscope draped down his chest. He listened to Maddie's breathing, inadvertently causing another fit, and was a tad concerned by what he'd heard.

"Well?" Motherboard asked as Maddie sagged against her.

"It isn't too serious, just a bad cold I believe. But it has unfortunately settled in her chest, so we'll have to be careful it doesn't progress into bronchitis."

The woman's face paled at the mention of bronchitis. Maddie was only four, she didn't need to suffer that!

"How can I help her?"

"Well she'll have to sleep sitting up, and a hot shower might help loosen the congestion so she can breathe more easily."

Motherboard nodded. Showers still weren't something she enjoyed, though she knew now the water couldn't hurt her, but if it would help Maddie she would do it.

"How can I help?" Digit asked.

"Can you make her some soup and possibly change the bed sheets?" she asked.

"Can do!"

"Let's go shower, sweetie," Motherboard murmured to the miserable child.

* * *

Marbles had been right that the steam from the shower had helped Maddie breathe more easily. It had been pitiful to see their reflection as she'd stood underneath the warm spray, Maddie wrapped around her torso and nearly asleep and her soaking wet and worried. Digit had knocked on the door after a bit to let her know the sheets had been changed and the soup was waiting. She'd thanked him and gotten out, wrapping the girl in a large fluffy towel and herself in a robe before exiting the bathroom. She smiled upon reaching the bedroom to see that Digit had also been thoughtful enough to leave a nightgown for her.

She had just begun to help Maddie into her own pajamas when it happened. Maddie sneezed directly into her face. Her whole body tensed instantly in revulsion, only regaining movement when the girl began rapidly apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, Mommy! I'm sorry!"

Blinking, she shushed her, hoping to prevent another coughing spell.

"Shh baby, it's okay, it was an accident, hush now," she soothed. "Let's finish getting you dressed so I can change too, alright?"

She waited until her daughter was distracted by her lunch to violently scrub at her face, suppressing a shudder.

* * *

The following days passed in much the same way, though by the end of the third one Motherboard's back ached from spending nights sitting in a chair and holding her daughter so Maddie could sleep. Thankfully she was steadily improving, once again showing interest in her toys and experiments, but much of the time still consisted of cuddles. Doctor Marbles was handling Cyberspace just fine, for which Motherboard was grateful, as she knew she wouldn't be able to focus on it until Maddie was well. Digit often helped her when he wasn't assisting Marbles, allowing her small breaks throughout the day. She enjoyed watching them play together, little moments she ordinarily missed.

While she wished her daughter wasn't sick, she was enjoying the time she spent with her, and hoped it helped make up for the months before she'd gained her Android form.

As Maddie snuggled into her embrace that night, she decided it had.


End file.
